Quarantine Life Isn’t So Bad!

Quarantine Life Isn’t So Bad!

While everyone in the world is giving their “Quarantine” updates to the world, I thought I’d just give you an update in ours… our normal life, routine… our chaos. 😊

I am thankful for the other bloggers out there, who are telling their stories of how they are surviving the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, and the quarantine life that they are now living. It gives hope to the rest of the people out there who are struggling to keep their emotions in check, their head above water, and their sanity… period!

I, however, have been silent mostly because I have had to stay strong for myself, my kids, and my family on the frontlines.

My older three boys were excited at first, when they heard that there would be a break from school. This comes as no surprise to those who know us well, because I have two boys who struggle and would rather not attend the brick and mortar schools for their education.

It was vacation, early!

They went to school on Monday, March 9, 2020, to receive their packets and have a final day with their classmates and teachers. When they got off the bus that afternoon, they were under the impression that they would be out until March 31, 2020. I let them believe that would be their reality… for a time.

I knew otherwise.

It was only the beginning.

The reality was that, I knew it would be longer than the end of March before we saw and end to the crisis our world is enduring, but we are in a tunnel. A dark tunnel, with no end in sight just yet.

Things are so different, and yet they are the same.

We get up, dress for the day, eat breakfast. I clean, do dishes, laundry, and scroll FB or news pages, to see the latest in the world. The kids play games, read something, do a page or two of their school packets, and play more. On warm days they play outside. On the cooler days (like today) they hang out indoors.

It’s like summer vacation, but with some extra academics they would normally leave behind until August.

In my home, with my family, our world isn’t entirely different during this “social distance” time of our lives. Yes, some things are different, but overall, we are doing the same things we have done for years in our little world.

And yet, the difference (for almost everyone) is this:

We aren’t scrolling social media with our normal ideas in mind. We are looking for the latest cases of a virus, new positive tests, where they are, new deaths, new recoveries.

We are looking for our state governors press conferences, giving us updates for our areas, and what new restrictions we may have to endure.

We wait for the Presidential press conference where he gives us a national update, updates from FEMA, FDA, medical and other professional updates for the entire country as a whole.

We find memes that make light of our situation, give us laughs, smiles, and humor in our trying times.

We find people talking about how they are helping their fellow man in need during these trying times.

We see good and bad everywhere, and hope to find an end to this tunnel we are in.

People have opinions about the virus itself, how others are handling it, supplies for the medical world, necessities for the population, and so on.

I have read many opinions, watched many press conferences, and listened to many people speak about the pandemic, the struggle, and its affect on the entire world.

And I sit in my house, with my children, as any normal day…

And I smile.

What have I to smile about? I’m so glad you asked!

The past few weeks my boys and I have had many conversations. I have heard their fears, their adjustments, their perspective on things, and their dreams for their futures.

We have read books, played games, put some puzzles together, cooked some (very) unique meals together, made brownies, muffins, and even FIXED my stove issue I’ve had for months!

We have cleaned up a large portion of our yard that looked rough for quite some time, and planted seeds for a garden we are excited to see grow this year.

We have played with the babies, A LOT, and shared so many giggles, laughs, smiles, and fun that I have found this entire situation to be one of the biggest blessings for myself, my children, and my home.

My soul needed some searching time, and I got it!

My heart needed some cleansing time, and I got it!

My mind needed some new creativity time, and I got it!

My children needed more time with me, and we got it!

I understand that cabin fever is an issue, and we have dealt with it a little already.

But the world is still turning, the sun is still rising and setting, and the one thing we have in our favor right now is time. It’s still moving, which is great, because as it passes answers are being found, steps are being taken, and once time passes and this is a thing of our past, we will have many things to look back on… memories only, of the tragedy, the crisis, the pandemic that changed our lives… if we let it.

And I have let it. I have let change creep into my world, change for the better. And in this life, that is what matters.

Much Love,

Becca

Tis The Season Of Yuck

Tis The Season Of Yuck

I don’t know about you, but this mama is TERRIFIED of sending my older three boys back to school at the end of their Christmas Break! The influenza monster is running its vicious circles around my community (and many others around the nation) and my infant twins have already seen their fair share of sickness with their recent diagnosis of RSV last week!

Thankfully, my older boys have escaped the flu, and any other sickness, thus far. How? I have no idea, honestly! The babies and I have been sick for over a week, but I am convinced my older boys have somehow grown ironclad immune systems! I am grateful, for sure, because my hands have been fuller than my infected sinuses!

Hands down, this has been the most active “sick season” I have seen in a long time! Between blowing my own nose, coughing until I can’t breathe, or I choke on air, aches and pains, fever and chills, not sleeping but dozing all the time, and THEN the twins!

Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, breathing issues, crying, snotting, puking, fussing, tossing and turning, sucking the YUCK out of their noses, and REPEAT every few hours…

Did I forget bottles and diapers? Oh yeah… those too!

And somewhere along the way I think I remembered to fix food, feed the three older kids and myself, and shower. But I’ve slept since then, so don’t get too close. I could be wrong!

Now, as I sit here and type this post for you all, I want to share that we are approaching the road to recovery, slowly! That in itself is an improvement, so I’m relieved beyond words!

At one point I thought how amazing it was that I didn’t forget I have the three older boys in all this mess, but then I remembered… it’s Christmas break, and they are taking advantage of that in EVERY sense of the term! Noise-making gifts, gaming add-ons, movies and videos, this “booty scooter” thing that they literally ride through the hallway and into the kitchen until they hit a wall or the fridge, and it’s been super warm outside so there’s the constant opening and closing of the doors as they run in and out of the house enjoying their time off from school.

In all the fuss and fun that they have been enjoying, I will say that they are still my superheroes! Anytime I needed help with the babies, they were there. Anytime I needed help with cleaning or cooking, they were there. I am blessed beyond measure with my little tribe!

But let me bounce back to the first statement I made in this post: I am TERRIFIED of sending them back to school after this break! The flu is everywhere! People are testing positive for it all around us! I have become the Germaphobe Nazi Mom!

There are bottles of Germ-X, Lysol, Clorox Wipes, and every other hand and antibacterial soap everywhere in my home right now! Nobody can walk into my bedroom without washing their hands at least once, and then Germ-X mandatory! I keep these “Wet Ones” wipes on the crib so I can use them to wipe down anything I plan to use on, or hand to, the babies. (Which reminds me, I need to get more…*writes that on the list*)

I have stocked up on the Airborne Vitamin C with Zinc and am making the boys take it daily. Sometimes I remember to take it myself, and sometimes I forget. But, I’m already sick and they aren’t! Prevention!!!

As me and the wee ones begin the road to recovery, I am praying, hoping, and keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t bring ANY new virus into this house again this season. Mama be tired!